- yes, an enjoyable read. a dip into another reality, another persons life. that’s what good fiction is all about.
- Did you tell him that?
- Mr. Lightsmith: read: quickly!I think this might be a job for you. I didn’t fully read it all, as I know it is not a job that I can do, but, you know a great deal more about photography than I do.
- was there a link? LOL.
- Darn it. There should have been! I don’t know where it went.
- Grrr .. it was an online job writing articles about photography And I totally pasted the URL in the message. What a bunch of crap!Well, if I see it again, I shall try to remember to save it, just in case this happens again.
- LOL. Obviously the great employment scout in the sky doesn’t want me to know about it.Did you like Macbeth and the Aliens? I am probably going to can it. It was really just a tongue in cheek thumbs down at the Jane Austen and the Zombies style of ‘writing’….. LOL
- No,, I haven’t been on here in a while, except for trying to send you that link LIfe has been real hectic lately. So please, please do not can it,, yet !Wow, so I was going through my artwork, looking for this one I did of a stereotypical Englishman, which I have apparently removed, and I got this wonderful feeling One of the best feelings in the world, which comes right after the point where you feel a jealous twinge and you start thinking “I wish I could …” and then it hits you that you’re looking at your own work, so not only can you, but, you did.
- LOL. It’s at times like those that you see yourself for what you are. A talented artist. :)
- (grin) Flatterer! hee hee Finally watching ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ after all these years weird
- did you like Auntys Present ?It occurs to me now that there might be a gap in many readers understanding because of things we take for granted here versus in the rest of the world (which is a typical American mistake not usually typical of Australians who usually think – quite correctly – that everyone else knows about kangaroos, koalas, Kylie Minogue and not much else).
- I did, now that I read it. I think most of the world knows what a boomerang is, thanks to movies and cartoons, if for no other reason. I knew about them, from many different sources, for many different reasons – toys, entertainment,weaponry, aboriginal, cultural …
- I’ve written my last entry for a challenge. As usual I got nowhere. Either I have a grossly exaggerated opinion of my own work or there’s some sort of neptistic fan-club at work. Either way you’ll notice a certain lack of writings on redbubble now. I shouldn’t think anyone else will notice. Not many people anyway. I’ll still be publishing on my blog site writer wrote but unless I go through some weird trans-dimensional hyperflux, I don’t think I’ll be pushing out written stuff to RedBubble any more. Whether I’m good or bad, I need encouragement not discouragement and that’s all this site gives me in terms of writing anyway. Maybe it’s sour grapes but I pour everything into my writing and its as though I’m writing in another language. Perhaps I am. So be it. Bugger the lot of them. This is the second time I’ve mass suppressed my written works. This time I don’t intend to go back. So if you are interested, keep checking the blog site which I try to update on Fridays (my time)…. elsewise, pass me into the oblivion of mediocrity – which appears to be the opinion of most redbubble readers (or should I say writers).
- Yes, well, think about this: you get way more readers here than I do! I know the feeling.Strangely, whenever I decide to just leave this site, or some other site, people come out of the wood work telling me how much they love my writing. But, can they frigging tell me otherwise? NO! Even though they can tell other people they love their writing.There are people on this site who throw fits and drop art pieces as they only got 15 comments in the first day or so … sometimes i don’t get any comments on a piece in years worth of time. Not even “Wow! You should have used a different color!” crap .. zippo .. and I get no sales, most of the time … but ,I sure do have a lot of people, again, who tell me that they like the artwork when I decide I’ve had enough of being ignored and start to pack my shite and go.
- well, I bet no-one even notices I’ve left (in terms of writing). So be it. I may just have an over-inflated ego in terms of my writing but I do think its good and usually far better than others who enter into these challenges – and who get lots of votes. Anyway, it’s done. All removed. I shall continue to push my blog for writing and leave the art on here. for the time being.One person I read said that they are removing works with less than 20 favouritings. I don’t think I HAVE a piece that has been favourited that much. It certainly destroys your self-confidence.one day it might come to be that we’re famous and they’ll clamour for our work. and I’ll tell them that a heap went down the toilet. because they weren’t interested. they pulled the chain themselves…..i was going to start another user for writing but i wont now. RB has lost me as an author.
- Red Bubble is removing works with less than 20 favouritings? I don’t think I have one piece that has anywhere near that! I realize you just said that, but, wow …
- After looking, to see, I got depressed and I am so leaving this site. I have one piece with 10 favorites and the rest .. hahahhahah some of them don’t even have one view
- yep. I recently went through my whole portfolio and hid pretty well everything that wasn’t infrared. Then I culled some of the remaining.I never get anywhere in challenges – written or artwork. It’s too demoralizing. I will keep putting up the images but am too unhappy with the place for anything else.My belief is that people comment and fav to get a response back which I never did. Its true that when I looked at peoples work after they comment on me, I’d usually end up commenting on five or six of their but it was always that order – against me. And really, I’m struggling to make a living at the moment and all the spare time I have is literally spent trying to create customers so I have precious little left to visit others portfolios and comment just for the sake of it. I know I’ve missed some wonderful stuff because I’ve been too busy. That’s probably true of others we know too. But there are plenty out there (Antanas for example) who only comments on one of yours if you have just commented on one of his. I’m sick of that game. Its like buying friends on facebook.Sometimes I look at a piece of writing I’ve done or an image and it sends shivers down my spine. It’s just soooo right. And then I look at the views and it has perhaps 2 or 3 – or none. And I think that no-one is even interested so why bother. People like your good self are rare. Like diamonds.
- Really? If I remember his ID as being the right person, he comments on my work without me having to comment on his first. It always surprises me that he does – Antanas, or whatever it’s actually spelled like. He doesn’t comment often, but, it increasingly feels like often compared to others.Linaj only comments on my stuff if I comment on hers, though, and her writing is too atrocious .. she isn’t really doing or saying anything worthwhile, she is just ’being artsy" It drives me crazy.
- Maybe you actually really inspire him with your work! And probably I don’t. Perhaps I have wronged him then…..
- Or, maybe you’re a man and I’m not Maybe he likes fat chicks. Who knows! I never know what sets him off. He mostly does not comment my work at all, but, he will, just out of the blue, comment one or more pieces and then sort of fade back into the void.On my journal entry, there is some crazy woman, twisting everything I said around and trying to make it out that I was saying friendships don’t matter, the people on the site don’t matter, that I don’t put any effort into selling my art, blah blah blah and now she’s saying I am making a mockery of the comments on the pieces that I deleted just because the people would not buy them (they were writing, so no one even would be buying them, mind) – when, in fact, I made it clear I was appreciative of the comments and it would be lovely to reread them some day.Several of the quotes – well, at least a couple – are ones you wrote, for that matter. And, since when have I ever made a mockery of you, except according to Xadrik. lol
- Silly bitch. See what she makes of my post IF she bothers to read it. Don’t like her art either. Or her writing. And I bet she has big ears……
- Sadly, I am someone who encouraged her, when she was getting dumped on by other people, who were telling her she was not even an artist. Then, she got banned and that is what she calls closing her account. (sigh)Thank you, Mr. Lightsmith. That was a lovely, wonderful comment. I doubt it will do the slightest good, on her behalf, but, it did the world of good on mine.
- I have a story bursting to come out but it’s got wedged! Maybe in a few days….. Won’t bother with RB though – will put it directly on my blog (or even just sit on it except for private readings for those I trust and respect such as yourself.)
- woot woot!
- MY first cut (if you’ll pardon the Pun).The man was of indeterminable age. He shuffled down the back lane. He was reasonably well dressed against the cold with a thick coat and gloves but the clothes themselves had an air of age about them. He might have been a well-to-do fallen on hard times. Some people are very difficult to read.Gazz watched him and made to go after him but felt the restraining hand of Chang. “No!” he heard Chang hiss urgently. “No, it’s Macheath”.Gazz turned to Chang. "He’s easy meat – " he started but broke off when he saw Chang’s face. Chang the unshakeable, Chang the hard-man, Chang the violent. Now Chang the pale. Chang the cold. Chang the frightened.“No” said Chang. “Don’t you understand? It’s Macheath” he said again with an emphasis on the ‘heath’.Gazz clearly didn’t understand.“Look, just wait” said Chang. So they waited until Macheath had disappeared from view. The shuffling figure seemed to take an eternity and with every slow, labored stride, Gazz had turned the blade in his hand, but as Macheath finally strode out of their life – for the time being at least – Gazz clicked his flick-knife and the blade retracted.“Don’t you know anything?” Chang said to Gazz angrily. “Were you born a shit or was there an asshole somewhere that pushed you out?” Colour was beginning to return to his face and his voice, which had taken on a queer almost childish quality, had gotten its swank back. Almost.“So what’s with this Macheath then?” asked Gazz. “He not the law obviously”.Chang laughed a hollow laugh. “No, not the law. Least not any sort of law you know.” He took out a smoke and tossed one at Gazz. “Sit down and learn. Then you’ll know somethin’ before you die”.Macheath, according to Chang, was something of a legend. “Don’t let that old tired look fool you, he’s bad shit. Mac the Knife they calls him.” said Chang. But Gazz didn’t look convinced.“Ten years ago there was two firms – not just Jakki like now.” said Chang. He felt like some shit school teacher or something.“A rival?” asked Gazz. This was news to him. He only knew that Jakki ran things and the few that tried starting up got stuffed up quick enough and usually permanently.“Yes” said Chang. “Dom was his name. Ran a firm bigger than Jakki. But they tolerated you know? Kept to their own tracks. Jakki east of the river, Dom west. Not pals but OK.”“So what happened?” asked Gazz.“Word was, Macheath did up one of Dom’s lot, his brother I think it was. Cut him into bits they reckon. So Dom, see, he goes out for Macheath. Sets a price on his head. Ten grand to whichever of his firm does Macheath. Ten grand then, bought you any shit you wanted so they all goes after him. Every one.”“Ah, that’s bullshit man” said Gazz. “Bull-sheet. A firm onto him and he’s still here?”“That’s right shit-brain. He’s still here. But none of Dom’s lot are.” His voice dropped. “Every single one gone. Carved thinner than ham. Every last one.” Chang paused. It wasn’t something he liked to remember. “Almost every last one.” he said.“So one got away?” asked Gazz.“No. One didn’t go for the ten grand. One had more than shit for brains”.A tiny light lit up the blackness of an empty head. “You?” asked Gazz. You worked for Dom?"“Yes.” said Chang. “But I was smarter than them. I quit and joined Jakki”. He threw his cigarette end down. “Only man that ever quit a firm” he added proudly.“So what then?” asked Gazz. It all sounded a bit like bullshit but Chang was straight, at least where bullshit was concerned. You could trust Chang. He’d back you up, he’d cut quick and sure, and he never did bullshit.“I joined Jakki but old Dom didn’t care. He was out of his brain – lost his firm and most of his family to Macheath, so he pulled in a professional.” He corrected himself, “THE professional. A hitman that cost Dom a lot more than ten grand. They reckon he sunk every cent he had left into the guy. Top of the range, martial arts champion and an evil streak that you could smell. One simple job : Get Mac the Knife.” Chang laughed humourlessly again. “Simple!” he said.“And?”Chang didn’t speak for a little while. It felt like an age. Then, “They reckon they’re still finding bits of him”.Neither said much. Chang lit another cigarette and tried to push the memory back into the past. Gazz wondered about the day that they’d all call him, Gazz the Knife.After a while, Gazz asked him – “What’s Jakki’s take on it? Now I mean.”Chang half smiled. “He liked getting west of the river.”“No, I mean Macheath”.“Oh”, Chang said lightly, “He put a twenty grand price on his head”.Twenty grand! Gazz felt the adrenalin course. With that he could be someone. With twenty grand ….“Forget it” Chang hissed at him urgently. “Aint you noticed – no-one’s ever gone for it? You’re the best I seen with a blade. Fast. Sharp. Better than me any day. But forget it. Hear? Aint no-one who cuts Macheath. Stay clear of Macheath”.“Yeah, I will” said Gazz. It was the same voice he used just before he mugged someone. Just before he stuck them if they objected a little. “Yeah” he said again. And fingered his knife.The days passed and Chang did a bit of running for the firm-owned druggies, so he didn’t see much of Gazz. It was like that. Business kept you busy. Gazz was out doin’ a little protection for Jakki – seemed to get on well with that. Had a taste for blood, Chang thought. OK, that’s fine. He tried to put their conversation out of his head. Gazz would do OK. Shit for brains but following orders. A good kid really.No one saw the glint of Gazz knife in the moonlight. No one saw the dark shadow silently follow Macheath into the alleyway. And if anyone heard the faint gargle of a cut throat or the dull thud of a body dropping gently onto the ground, they would turn over in their beds and stare at the blank walls.And Macheath shuffled on.oh, the shark has pretty teeth dear
and he shows ’em, pearly white.
Just a jack knife, has macheath, dear
and he keeps it, out of sight.when the shark bites, with his teeth dear
scarlet billows start to spread
fancy gloves though wears macheath dear
so there’s not a trace of red.on the sidewalk sunday mornin
lies a body oozin life
someones sneakin round the corner
is the someone Mac the Knife
- Yeah .. very very .. yeah … lol There are a few missing commas, and a slight cigarette discrepancy in that he either took two out and tossed one to Gazz or he took one out and tossed “it” to Gazz, but, mostly, it’s nice and tight and has definite interest holding ability and impact. Very, very nice! I like the fact that you didn’t even have to describe the time, the town, the era just this conversation that brings all that into play by its existence. Fabulous.
- Revision2 Some enhancements, probably screwed a few more commas. Your opinion is very valued. This may do it for a while. Not sure about titleThe man was of indeterminable age. He shuffled down the back lane. He was reasonably well dressed against the cold with a thick coat and gloves but the clothes themselves had an air of age about them. He might have been a well-to-do fallen on hard times. Some people are very difficult to read.Gazz watched him and made to go after him but felt the restraining hand of Chang. “No!” he heard Chang hiss urgently. “No, it’s Macheath”.Gazz turned to Chang. "He’s easy meat – " he started but broke off when he saw Chang’s face. Chang the unshakeable, Chang the hard-man, Chang the violent. Now Chang the pale, Chang the cold, Chang the frightened.“No” said Chang. “Don’t you understand? It’s Macheath” he said again with an emphasis on the ‘heath’.Gazz clearly didn’t understand.“Look, just wait” said Chang. So they waited until Macheath had disappeared from view. The shuffling figure seemed to take an eternity and with every slow, labored stride, Gazz had turned the blade in his hand but as Macheath finally strode out of their life – for the time being at least – Gazz clicked his flick-knife and the blade retracted.“Don’t you know anything?” Chang said to Gazz angrily. “Were you born a shit or was there an asshole somewhere that pushed you out?” Colour was beginning to return to his face and his voice, which had taken on a queer almost childish quality, had gotten its swank back. Almost.“So what’s with this Macheath then?” asked Gazz. “He not the law obviously”.Chang laughed a hollow laugh. “No, not the law. Least not any sort of law you know.” He took out a couple of smokes and tossed one at Gazz. “Sit down and learn. Then you’ll know somethin’ before you die”.Macheath, according to Chang, was something of a legend. “Don’t let that old tired look fool you, he’s bad shit. Mac the Knife they calls him.” said Chang. But Gazz didn’t look convinced.“OK, history lesson” said Chang feeling like some shit school teacher or something. “Ten years ago there was two firms – not just Jakki like now.”“A rival?” asked Gazz. This was news to him. He only knew that Jakki ran things and the few that tried starting up got stuffed up quick enough and usually permanently.“Yes” said Chang. “Dom was his name. Ran a firm bigger than Jakki. But they tolerated you know? Kept to their own tracks. Jakki east of the river, Dom west. Not pals but OK.”“So what happened?” asked Gazz.“Word was, Macheath did up one of Dom’s lot, his brother I think it was. Cut him into bits they reckon. So Dom, see, he goes out for Macheath. Sets a price on his head. Ten grand to whichever of his firm does Macheath. Ten grand in those days bought you any shit you wanted so they all goes after him. Every one.”“Ah, that’s bullshit man” said Gazz. “Bull-sheet. A firm onto him and he’s still here?”“That’s right shit-brain. He’s still here. But none of Dom’s lot are.” His voice dropped. “Every single one gone. Carved thinner than ham. Every last one.” Chang paused. It wasn’t something he liked to remember. “Almost every last one.” he said.“So one got away?” asked Gazz.“No. One didn’t go for the ten grand. One had more than shit for brains”.A tiny light lit up the blackness of an empty head. “You?” asked Gazz. You worked for Dom?"“Yes.” said Chang. “But I was smarter than them. I quit and joined Jakki”. He threw his cigarette end down. “Only man that ever quit a firm” he added proudly.“So what then?” asked Gazz. It all sounded a bit like bullshit but Chang was straight, at least where bullshit was concerned. You could trust Chang. He’d back you up, he’d cut quick and sure, and he never did bullshit.“I joined Jakki but old Dom didn’t care. He was out of his brain – lost his firm and most of his family to Macheath, so he pulled in a professional.” He corrected himself, “THE professional, and the hit cost Dom a lot more than ten grand too. They reckon he sunk every cent he had left into the guy. Top of the range, martial arts champion and an evil streak that you could smell. One simple job : Get Mac the Knife.” Chang laughed humourlessly again. “Simple!” he said.“So?”Chang didn’t speak for a little while. It felt like an age. Gazz stiffled a yawn just as Chang went on. “They reckon they’re still finding bits of him”.Neither said much. Chang lit another cigarette and tried to push the memory back into the past. Gazz wondered about the day that they’d all call him, Gazz the Knife.After a while, Gazz asked him – “What’s Jakki’s take on it? Now I mean.”Chang half smiled. “He liked getting west of the river.”“No, I mean Macheath”.“Oh”, Chang said lightly, “He put a twenty grand price on his head”.Twenty grand! Gazz felt the adrenalin course. With that he could be someone. With twenty grand ….“Forget it” Chang hissed at him urgently. “Aint you noticed – no-one’s ever gone for it?” He didn’t say why Jakki had put the price out on Macheath. It was a kind of exam to weed out loose cannons. Only with this exam you passed by doing nothing and failed by trying. No-one alive could take Macheath – Jakki knew it and Chang knew it – shit everyone with half a brain knew it. Only a fool would try it and fools Jakki didn’t want on his firm. He ran too tight a ship for that.Chang didn’t look at Gazz. He liked Gazz very much – they were kinda like street brothers – but he wasn’t going to put his balls on the line. The exam bit was Jakki’s secret and you didn’t mess with that. He’d given Gazz the standard warning – if he didn’t listen then he was dead already. But he did like him, so he tried with what he had – just once more.“You’re the best I seen with a blade” he said. “Fast, sharp, artistic. Better than me any day. But forget Macheath. Hear? Aint no-one cuts Macheath. Stay clear of Macheath”.“Yeah, I will” said Gazz. It was the same voice he used just before he mugged someone. Just before he stuck them if they objected a little. “Yeah” he said again. And fingered his knife.The days passed and Chang did a bit of running for the firm-owned druggies, so he didn’t see much of Gazz. It was like that. Business kept you busy. Gazz was out doin’ a little protection for Jakki – seemed to get on well with that. Had a taste for blood, Chang thought. OK, that’s fine. He tried to put their conversation out of his head. Gazz would do OK. Shit for brains but following orders. A good kid really.No one saw the glint of Gazz knife in the moonlight. No one saw the dark shadow silently follow Macheath into the alleyway. And if anyone heard the faint gargle of a cut throat or the dull thud of a body dropping gently onto the ground, they would turn over in their beds and stare at the blank walls.And Macheath shuffled on.oh, the shark has pretty teeth dear
and he shows ’em, pearly white.
Just a jack knife, has macheath, dear
and he keeps it, out of sight.when the shark bites, with his teeth dear
scarlet billows start to spread
fancy gloves though wears macheath dear
so there’s not a trace of red.on the sidewalk sunday mornin
lies a body oozin life
someones sneakin round the corner
is the someone Mac the Knife
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